Turtle Medicine for ATX: BWB
Last Saturday, I went with The Austin Texas Burners Without Borders group to The Army Corps of Engineers-run Canyon Lake Park to help clean the park up after recent flooding. We had about as many people in our group as all of the other groups combined (if not more), and we are all hard workers; so, we were well received. We even managed to drag the roof of a car out of where it was buried in the shoreline of the lake! We were also mentioned in a news article in the Canyon Lake Times Guardian (although there are a couple of slight misprints).



And just as we were finishing up our mooping project at Canyon Lake, last Saturday...

::: We found a turtle skeleton :::

So, to use a Native American metaphor, I decided to interpret this turtle medicine (the traditional name for North America being, "Turtle Island," after all)...

So, I did an I Ching reading, of course! I have been studying the I Ching in earnest for the past eight years or so. And I have often read about how the ancients would use turtle shells & bones as the source of their oracles. The legends tell us that that the first of the mythical Chinese "Three Sovereigns" was a folk hero/sage named Fu Xi (aka Fu Hsi). Fuxi, and his wife Nüwa, are credited with being the progenitors of humans after a cataclysmic flood (previous to that time, people are said to have lived in semi-aquatic hunter-gatherer societies). Fu Xi is also said to have invented writing, fishing, & trapping... and he was inspired to create the I Ching from the "Yellow River Map," which he discovered in a pattern on the back of a mythical turtle that crawled out of the river Luo.

I have attempted to divine what are the pertinent messages from this consultation; and I have come up with the following essential themes:

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Nature overcomes human civilization in a flood.
People must rise above the destruction & recreate our society.


In an unknown situation, if we behave like careful and reserved newcomers in a strange country, then we will receive respect from others.
When we realize that we do not know the habits or facts we might encounter, then we know that it will benefit us to be extremely modest & cautious.

If we accept a role like that of a student, then our awareness will grow and change. We will be able to put our ideas to the trial. This will bring profit and insight. And as we keep working on our projects, they will educate us.

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For amusement, I also translated this divination into archetypes which I have encountered @ Flipside...


the Hippie scene has been dominated by a flood of Ravers.
we are now witness to Zombie Clowns rising from the devastation!
meanwhile, Robots have forged an alliance with Mimes,
while Pirates & Ninjas lurk in the shadows...
and are all of these Scientists really working for the MIB?

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In retrospect, this mystical turtle is reminiscent of the phoenix archetype that has been a recurrent theme, since Burning Man...

I also recall that during Burning Man 2004: The Vault of Heaven, the following turtle reference was made (which I explored through a post in my Live Journal, at the time)...

` ` A wandering Muslim merchant stopped a Hindu Brahmin who was lecturing on the structure of the universe. It was, said the Brahmin, supported on the back of an elephant. What supported the elephant, asked the merchant. A turtle, answered the Brahmin. What supported the turtle, asked the merchant. Another turtle, answered the Brahmin. What supported that turtle, asked the merchant. Suppose we stop asking questions, suggested the Brahmin. ' '

...which reminded me of the anecdote about an encounter between a scientist and a little old lady that Stephen Hawking refers to in his 1988 book _A Brief History of Time: from the Big Bang to Black Holes_

` ` A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: “What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.” The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, “What is the tortoise standing on.” “You’re very clever, young man, very clever,” said the old lady. “But it’s turtles all the way down!” ' '

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The stories in the I Ching are composed partly of myth; and since the Book of Changes is not intended to be a historical text per se, it doesn't really matter whether a diviner illustrates his tales with the images of legend or with historical data. It is only important that people understand what the oracle intends to communicate through the story.

Here are my research notes from this divination:

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56. Lü / Sojourning at the Borders / Quest / The Wanderer
http://www.akirarabelais.com/i/i.html#56
http://www.yijing.nl/i_ching/hex_49-64/hex_e_56.htm

above LI THE CLINGING, FIRE
below KêN KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN

the mountain, Kên, stands still; above it fire, Li, flames up and does not tarry. Therefore the two trigrams do not stay together. Strange lands and separation are the wanderer's lot.

The Wanderer. Success through smallness.
Perseverance brings good fortune
To the Wanderer.

Journeying, voyages outside the norm; wandering, exile; soldiers on a mission; quest, searcher, wandering sage or minister of the King, itinerant troops, small expansion; relations with the shadow lands; High on the mountain there is fire: site of creative transformation. The noble one is clear minded and cautious in imposing punishment and does not protract lawsuits. A determination about wandering is auspicious. day 24 of a yin moon

Lü: Two (or many) men (4) under a flag (2) or maybe a tree (3). It resembles the right part of hex.1's name, but here it has probably nothing to do with trees.
Lü: travel; stay away from home, troop, itinerant troops, an army division of 500 men, multitude, retainers, many, younger men of the family, arrange in a series, one after the other, set forth, extol.


Strangers Traveling Abroad (Earth of Fire): The fixed Earth is the resricted image of Sun, the realized self, or conditions. The better side is "consolidation" of what is realized. This is based on the assumption that nothing is completed to its ultimate or is forever stable; hence it is advised to take advantage of the consolidation principle of this hexagram. Probably the best advice is to let go of the self-sufficient and to seek help and support (radical self reliance meets community). In every unknown and new situation, behave like being in a strange country.

In every country, even far away from home, one finds the same universal rules. Human rules can differ fundamentally, but the voice of the gods is everywhere the same.

Who hears these voices can speak all languages on earth, he will find safety and a home wherever he is. God and Allah and Manitou and Buddha all come from the same source, only the names are different. So speak and behave from out this source, and accept the human rules as being part of this particular landscape. Adapt to them with extra care, to make up for being unfamiliar with them.

Hex. 56 is about new or unknown circumstances. New people, a new country, new experiences. When one does not know the habits or facts one might encounter, then one should be extremely modest and careful.

Don't break out a wall in a house you hardly know, don't make jokes in a new job, don't be impulsive toward a stranger, don't criticize people in another country. All these mistakes might cause severe harm, or perhaps the loss of some cattle...

When a man is a wanderer and stranger, he should not be gruff nor overbearing. He has no large circle of acquaintances,
therefore he should not give himself airs. He must be cautious and reserved; in this way he protects himself from evil. If he is obliging toward others, he wins success.

A wanderer has no fixed abode; his home is the road. Therefore he must take care to remain upright and steadfast, so that he sojourns only in the proper places, associating only with good people. Then he has good fortune and can go his way unmolested.

The newcomer: The newcomer must be cautious and correct within himself and humble and obliging to others in order to make progress. He must preserve an upright integrity in his sojourn.

Spirit words bind us and accomplish fate, revealing the bright omens. The sacrificer is working with the Bright Omens. Fire and brightness above radiate light and warmth and people experience the the Bright Presence of things, while Mountain below limits and articulates what is complete to suggest what is beginning. This is fire over Earth: the inner field supports a continually changing awareness of the outer world. The ideal Realizing Person reflects this by supporting what is correct through consideration and clarity.

Sojourning/Quest describes your situation in terms of wandering, journeys and living apart. The way to deal with it is to mingle with others as a stranger whose ideas and mission come from a distant centre. You are outside the normal network, on a quest of your own. Be small and flexible. Adapt to whatever crosses your path. This is pleasing to the spirits. Through it they will give you success, effective power and the capacity to bring the situation to maturity. Be willing to travel and search alone. Put your ideas to the trial. This generates meaning and good fortune by releasing transformative energy.

A cycle is ending. Bringing something to an end means letting go of the old residence. Accept this and use the energy of Sojourning: This is a time when Noble One uses brightness and consideration in punishing, but does not relax the rules. The small. Make an offerring and you will succeed. Advantageous Trial. Harvesting.

Travel is successful when minimal. Flexibility is balanced outwardly and harmonizes with firm strength, remaining clam and cleaving to understanding. This is why it is successful when minimal, and it bodes well to be steadfast when traveling. THe meaning of timing of travel is very important!

This hexagram shows an inner limit that stabilizes changing awareness. Above the mountain, there is fire. Don't be afraid to act alone. If your ruling idea is exhausted, you must let go of where you live. Use your travels to connect solitary individuals. Brighten and consider things. Don't be held up by complications. Make clear decisions, even when they are painful. Being small and adapting to what crosses your path is pleasing to the spirits. What is supple and flexible is moving to the center in the outer world. By yielding and working with it, you connect with what is solid and strong. Limit and stabilize your desire when you join with others. This makes you aware of things. It is why being small is pleasing to the spirits. Be willing to travel and search alone. Put your ideas to the trial. The time of sojourning is truly and righteously great.


Six at Second:

The wanderer comes to an inn.
He has his property with him (friendship lasts as long as money does).
He wins the steadfastness of a young servant.
The wanderer here described is modest and reserved. He does not lose touch with his inner being, hence he finds a resting place. In the outside world he does not lose the liking of other people, hence all persons further him, so that he can acquire property. Moreover, he wins the allegiance of a faithful and trustworthy servant-a thing of inestimable value to a wanderer.
Sojourning. Approaching a rest house.
Take care of your goods.
You acquire a young vassal.
Advantageous Trial. Harvesting.
Complete this without being excessive. On the journey, you come together with others, though you must still take care. You have also made a friend who is willing to help you. You can establish something significant. Be resolute. You are connected to a creative force.
The man retains an inner sense of modesty and reserve. He acquires the necessary means of livelihood, a home, and good and trustworthy servants.
Determination. Satisfaction with one's life makes a resting place to a place of rest. To be happy with everything, not longing for more, different or better is the key to feeling at home. One does not 'find' a home, one makes a place into a home.
6 at 2 corresponds to a 24: A woman and two men on a bit of sunlit land facing south
With jealousy: war. Without: paradise.

Nine at Third:
The wanderer's inn burns down.
He loses the steadfastness of his young servant.
Danger.
A truculent stranger does not know how to behave properly. He meddles in affairs and controversies that do not concern him; thus he loses his resting place. He treats his servant with aloofness and arrogance; thus he loses the man's loyalty. When a stranger in a strange land has no one left on whom he can rely, the situation becomes very dangerous.
Sojourning. Burningdown the rest house.
You lose your young vassal.
Trial: advesity, hungry souls and angry ghosts.
This truly uses injuring. His righteousness is lost. On the journey, at the rest house. You destroy what you have found through violent passions and you frighten your friend away. Try to understand where this comes from. You are confronting danger that has roots in the past. If you understand its inner meaning, this seeming disaster could mark a profound change to a new state of being.
You will emerge and be recognized. Re-imagine the situation. Gather energy for a decisive new move.
When a dangerous task has to be accomplished, it is better to burn one's ships. Fear is strong, but without a refuge it is easier to cope with. When troops start marching to the war, they remove their camp, so the decision is definite.
9 at 3 corresponds to c 24: Mary and her white lamb
Everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go

Nine at Fourth:
The wanderer rests in a shelter.
He obtains his property and an ax.
My heart is not glad.
This describes a wanderer who knows how to limit his desires outwardly, though he is inwardly strong and aspiring. Therefore he finds at least a place of shelter in which he can stay. He also succeeds in acquiring property, but
even with this he is not secure. He must be always on guard, ready to defend himself with arms. Hence he is not at ease. He is persistently conscious of being a stranger in a strange land.
Sojourning. He finds a place to reside.
Acquiring goods and an emblem axe:
'My heart is not glad'
Not acquiring the right situation, his heart is not yet gladdened. A stop on the journey. You have found a place, with responsibility and power go with it. But these things bring sorrow, not happiness, for deep in your heart you know that you have forsaken what you really set out for.
Stabilize your desires. Release bound energy. The situation is already changing.
The wanderer is in a resting place and obtains his traveling-expenses.
Finding safety and rest and the means to sustain oneself are important, but the heart needs safety and riches too, spiritual ones. First of all it needs inspiration, and for that it must be touched.
9 at 4 corresponds to e 24: Crowds coming down the mountain to listen to one man
One idea can touch millions

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4. Mêng (Méng) / Youthful Folly / Enveloping / The Royal Maiden
http://www.akirarabelais.com/i/i.html#4
http://www.yijing.nl/i_ching/hex_1-16/hex_e_04.htm

above KêN KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN
below K'AN THE ABYSMAL, WATER

YOUTHFUL FOLLY has success.
It is not I who seek the young fool;
The young fool seeks me.
At the first oracle, I inform him.
If he asks the same thing two or three times, this is poor manners, and the matter is obscured.
When the matter is obscured, there is no longer any information.
But real perseverance furthers. It is favorable to persist in one's goals.

A spring wells up at the foot of the mountain: Enveloping. The image of YOUTH. Innocence, immature, unaware, foolish, the 'foolish youth;' not knowing, hidden, concealed, ignorance; The Royal Maiden, a magic plant called Royal Maiden; Make an offering and you will succeed. Thus the superior man fosters his character. By thoroughness in all that he does. nurture hidden growth; a foetus in the womb. Advantageous trial for the 'foolish youth.' Eminent - expansion. Harvest - determination. day 2 of a yang moon

Méng: a pig SHI3 (3), covered MI2 or MAO4 (2) with or by plants CAO3 (1). On OB there is no grass radical. According to Wang HongYuan: hunters disguised in animal skins. Correction: the pig is not a pig, but a tiger! The two images resemble each other and are easily confused.
Méng: to cover, ignorant (child), illiterate, immature, inexperienced; receive; meet with; a darkened mind, a cloudy sky, unconscious, senseless. Meng1: cheat, deceive, make wild guess.


All being as it gives birth must be enveloped. Accept this and use the energy of enveloping. Enveloping means being immature. Enveloping describes your situation in terms of staying under cover. You are immature and your awareness of the problem is dull and clouded. The way to deal with it is to acept being hidden in order to nurture growing awareness. Pull the covers over. Put the lid on. There is much concealed from you. You don't really know what you are doing. But the beginnings are definitely there, even if you can't yet see them. You didn't ask for this problem. It asked for you and it belongs with you. The first time you ask the oracle about this, it will advise and inform you. If you keep on asking, you muddy the waters. Accept that you are the foolish youth. Your awareness must grow and change. Put your ideas to the trial. That brings profit and insight. Keep working on your problem. It will educate you.

In the time of youth, folly is not an evil. One may succeed in spite of it, provided one finds an experienced teacher and has the right attitude toward him. This means, first of all, that the youth himself must be conscious of his
lack of experience and must seek out the teacher. Without this modesty and this interest there is no guarantee that he has the necessary receptivity, which should express itself in respectful acceptance of the teacher. This is the reason why the teacher must wait to be sought out instead of offering himself. Only thus can the instruction take place at the right time and in the right way. A teacher's answer to the question of a pupil ought to be clear and definite like that expected from an oracle; thereupon it ought to be accepted as a key for resolution of doubts and a basis for decision. If mistrustful or
unintelligent questioning is kept up, it serves only to annoy the teacher. He does well to ignore it in silence, just as the oracle gives one answer only and refuses to be tempted by questions implying doubt.

Given addition a perseverance that never slackens until the points are mastered one by one, real success is sure to follow. Thus the hexagram counsels the teacher as well as the pupil.

In this hexagram we are reminded of youth and folly in two different ways. The image of the upper trigram, Kên, is the mountain, that of the lower, K'an, is water; the spring rising at the foot of the mountain is the image of inexperienced youth. Keeping still is the attribute of the upper trigram; that of the lower is the abyss, danger. Stopping in perplexity on the brink of a dangerous abyss is a symbol of the folly of youth. However, the two trigrams also show the way of overcoming the follies of youth. Water is something that of necessity flows on. When the spring gushes forth, it does not know at first where it will go. But its steady flow fills up the deep place blocking its progress, and success is attained.

A spring succeeds in flowing on and escapes stagnation by filling up all the hollow places in its path. In the same way character is developed by thoroughness that skips nothing but, like water, gradually and steadily fills up all gaps and so flows onward.

The hexagram figure shows an outer obstacle that protects an inner source. Below the mountain a spring emerges. Energy is returning below. Turn back to meet it. The answer is already there, but it is immature and has to be protected. Enveloping means being immature. Don't pretend you know it already. Accept being visibly confused. Work on things gradually, like a plant bearing fruit. Aggressive action is blocked because this is the season for inner growth. The oracle confirms this. Don't keep asking the same question. Use your confusion to envelop your premature desire to act. What you see as an obstacle is there to nourish your awareness and correct your one-sided view of things. When you can really accept and understand this, you will most certainly become wise.

A time when Noble One ripens the fruits, nutruring power and virtue. The words of the spirit bind us and accomplish fate. The sacrificer works with the Ghost River. Mountain abavoe articulates what is complete to suggest what is beginning, while Rushing Water below dissolves direction and shape. This is Earth over Water: an outer limit hides and shields the inner process. The idea Realising Person reflects this by ripening the hidden fruit that will actualize the Way. Make the sacrifice. A cycle is ending. Let the difficulties dissolve.

One has to care for the ignorant, the formless. It still has unlimited possibilities. Without it, life would die away by lack of renewal.

Blessed are those who have something of this in their mind, how little it may be.

And listen carefully to those who speak from out this unborn thing. They are the true sages. Lao-Tze said: "I am ignorant, like a baby that has never yet laughed ...the people are bright, bright, I alone am dumb, dumb". (DaoDeJing verse 20).

A spring emerging under a mountain stands for innocence. Cultured people nurture character by fruitful action.

Innocence gets through successfully. Though you do not seek the innocent yourself, the innocent seek you. The first augury informs, the second and third muddle. Muddling is not informative. It is advantageous to be correct.

In innocence, there is danger below a mountain. Stopping at danger is innocence. Innocence gets through by successful action at the right time. Though you do not seek the innocent yourself, the innocent seek you, because your actions correspond. The first augury informs, because of being firmly on target. The second and third muddle, and muddling is not informative because it muddles innocence. To (celebrate & employ) innocence and nurture honesty is the work of sages.

Acquiring Experience: There is an inevitablity about the progress of youth. The older generation thinks it understands youth, but it does not. Despite the perilous conditions surrounding the inexperienced stage of the young man's life and the intermittent halting of his advances, success will be achieved. Liek water over-flowing in time, all pitfalls are eventually overcome.

Youthful Inexperience (Moon of Earth): "In the case which it presupposes, there will be progress and success." What this progress may be is not stated, nor can I define it. The upper (superior) trigram is Earth, which is solid, fied, consolidating, and in its best implication, practicality. If one of "inability" (referring to the lower trigram of Moon) is forced to become practical, and tackles only what is consistent with the ability or opportunity, then there could be progress and success.

This indicates that one can , and should, recognize an inadequate condition. Yet, by resourceful practcality he can attain progress and success. The text stresses "sincerity." THis implies self-appraisal and self-honesty in considering any course.

It is advisable not to have more ambition than good judgement. Neither envision nor tackle projects that, in being sincere, honest, and practical, you should suspect are beyond your known ability. This does not mean that one should not have the idea of the project in its essential nature.

A noble man nurtures virtue by reliable conduct

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Thanks to the following translations:

"The I Ching, or Book of Changes," by Richard Wilhelm & Cary F. Baynes
"Yi Jing, book of sun and moon," by LiSe Heyboer
"I Ching: The Book of Change," by John Blofield
"I Ching: The Book of Change" by Thomas Cleary
"The Portable Dragon: A Western Man's Guide to the I Ching," by R.G.H. Siu
"Total I Ching: Myths for Change," by Stephen Karcher
"The Tao of I Ching," by Tsung Hwa Jou
"The Pristine Yi King," by Louis Culling